1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, medium, and apparatus encoding and/or decoding audio data, such as for voice or music signals, and more particularly, to a method, medium, and apparatus encoding and/or decoding audio data to surround data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are primarily two techniques of transmitting an encoded audio signal and spatial information used in up-mixing an audio signal to surround data. In the first technique, the audio signal and spatial information are each transmitted using separate channels. In the second technique, spatial information is included with the audio signal in an encoded bit stream, e.g., as a field, for extending an audio signal.
However, in the second technique, the encoding device for encoding the audio signal and the device for processing the spatial information may not be the same device or even compatible. Regardless, in this technique, a resultant bit stream is prepared by dividing a data block, encoded by the device for processing the spatial information, into a plurality of data segments, and suitably distributing each of the data segments into a bit stream having the encoded audio signal.
When a payload of extension data, which can be used to extend the bandwidth of the encoded audio signal, and such a data segment of spatial information are both prepared in a field for extension for the bit stream, and the payload is prepared prior to the data segment, the payload is decoded first, and then the data segment is decoded by calculating the length of the payload. However, when the data segment is prepared prior to the payload, the payload may actually be incorrectly categorized as the data segment, since there is no information about the length of the payload.